Published at 18th of January 2020 7:40 pm

Volume 3, Chapter 6: The Young Man’s Time with the Infant and the Rose Princess’s Calamity

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

As the Ahmar night festival approached, the whole of Kreuz grew awash in a bustling and restless atmosphere. It was the foremost celebration for the town. Every shop was working hard to prepare themselves to target the travelers visiting for the festival. The number of adventurers visiting to guard the merchants coming for the festivities grew too, so the Dancing Ocelot was even busier than normal.

“Sis! Big sis Latina!” “What is it, Theo?”

“Let’s play,” the young Theodore said in the backyard of the Ocelot, but Latina made a slightly troubled face. Currently, she held a mountain of the sheets used in the Ocelot in her arms. Doing the laundry was hard work. She couldn’t even use a magical device to simplify the task. As a result, while they could wash clothing and the like themselves, bigger items like these were entrusted to a place that specialized in such work.

At the moment, Latina was on her way to drop them off. “Sorry, Theo. I can’t right now.”

She was holding enough that she felt like she’d drop it all if she lost her focus. Kenneth normally handled this job, as it was so much that Rita couldn’t possibly carry it. Latina could use magic to reduce the weight, though, so she could carry more than her thin arms could normally handle.

“Let’s play!”

“Sorry, just let me drop off this laundry, and then we can play. Just wait a little longer.”

Theo puffed up his cheeks as Latina repeated herself. Theo’s puffed-up cheeks are so cute...

While Latina was troubled by the toddler’s smooth, squishy, puffed-up cheeks, she couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t realize that that mannerism of his was the result of him mimicking his beloved big sister.

“Noooo, let’s play!” The toddler wasn’t that reasonable, so he threw a tantrum and clung to Latina’s apron.

“T-Theo, watch ou—” The moment she shouted that out in a panic, her load suddenly grew lighter. “Let go!”

Theo didn’t stop his struggling and writhing regardless, so Vint grabbed the scruff of the toddler’s neck with his mouth. Because he was so used to dealing with Theo, Vint managed to choose the perfect spot so as not to strangle or harm him.

“Vint.”

Vint wagged his tail, indicating that he was saying “Hurry up and go.” Latina look relieved and called out to Theo once more, saying, “Sorry, Theo. We’ll play when I get back, alright?”

“Noooo!” Theo complained, his gaze fixated on her hair as Latina picked the laundry back up and left.

Vint put Theo back on the ground when Latina was fully out of view. He dropped the toddler rather roughly, but Theo didn’t start crying.

“Sis!”

Theo stood up after having fallen on his backside, then tried to run off in the direction Latina was heading. Vint smoothly obstructed his path.

“Vi, you’re in the way!” “Woof.”

When Theo tried to cut around, Vint blocked him with his body once again. Even when Theo puffed up his cheeks, Vint didn’t relax his guard at all. From the soaring wolf’s point of view, what mattered most was whether or not Latina was being disadvantaged. The reason he watched after Theo was because he knew how fond Latina was of the toddler.

If anything happened to this tiny human child, Latina would be sad. That needed to be avoided. That was why he couldn’t let Theo interfere with Latina when she had her hands full, nor could he let anything happen to the boy while she was gone.

“Hmph!” Theo groaned in displeasure, but he still didn’t cry.

The toddler looked more like his mother than his father. His hair was soft and fluffy, as was characteristic of toddlers, and was black, which strengthened the resemblance. However, when it came to his personality, it was hard to say who he took after. Both of his parents were strong-willed. Rita naturally thought Kenneth was an outstanding man, and so did the influential adventurers who visited the Ocelot. Behind his friendly demeanor, he was quite tough.

Having inherited all sorts of things from such parents, such a minor issue wasn’t enough to make him break down in tears.

He charged at Vint. The beast dodged agilely, then knocked the now- unbalanced toddler over with a tap of his front paw.

Sure enough, he teared up a bit.

Feeling a paw on his back only annoyed him further. Vint didn’t like it when Theo asked to touch him, but he was fine pushing his paw onto the toddler. When Theo went to stand up again, Vint didn’t try to stop him.

Theo went to challenge Vint again, but his opponent clearly had the upper hand. The two playing always involved Theo tumbling over again and again and ending up covered in dirt.

By the time Dale showed up in the backyard, Theo had already forgotten his initial goal and was now focused on going up against Vint.

Thanks to the night festival, the number of adventurers in Kreuz now exceeded how many jobs were available. That was a problem during this time every year. As a result, adventurers of a certain skill level restrained themselves from taking anything but the most difficult of jobs, leaving work for those who were lacking in experience and funds. This unwritten rule was a form of cooperation between the adventurers. At the same time, acting greedy for work around now would only serve to severely harm one’s own reputation. Having so much free time right now was proof of one’s abilities.

Dale was spending his excess time off at the Ocelot.

Over these past years, whenever Dale was free, he’d spent as much time together with Latina as he could. As a result, he didn’t have any true “free time.” This year, however, Latina was pressed for time due to work, and on top of that, she was using her breaks to study magic. She was just too busy to make time for Dale right now.

Even though he knew he should feel glad to see her growing up, he still felt like crying from time to time.

And so, Dale sought out the toddler and the pup in order to kill some time. “What are you two doing...?”

“Woof.”

“Dale.”

Theo called Latina “Sis,” but for some reason, he just called Dale by his first name. It felt irrational to him. He just couldn’t understand it.

“Have you been playing with Vint?” “I’m gonna beat Vi!”

“That may still be a bit of a tall task for you, Theo...” “Woof.”

He was still just a cub, but Vint was a mythical beast, and mythical beasts were even stronger than magical beasts. He wasn’t the sort of opponent a toddler could defeat. Apparently, that was the source of the self-satisfied look on Vint’s face.

“I can do it!” “It’ll be tough...”

Even so, Theo kept insisting, so Dale shrugged his shoulders a bit and then picked up a stick lying on the ground. After giving it a test swing, he looked over at Vint.

“Are you ready, Vint?” “Woof!”

The instant after that bark, Vint leaped at Dale. Dale nimbly and easily dodged, only for Vint to pounce at him once more immediately after landing. Twisting his upper body the minimum amount necessary, Dale avoided the attack once more and then swung his stick. Vint ducked down to the ground, and Dale’s attack missed him.

Theo watched this frantic offense and defense intently with his mouth wide open.

Vint was still just a cub. He was no match for Dale on his own, as the difference in ability between them was just too great. That was precisely what made him the perfect opponent to offer Vint some challenging “play.”

“Is Vi stronger than Dale?”

“Is that how it looks to you, Theo?”

Dale occasionally stopped Vint’s blows with his left hand, whereas Dale’s stick didn’t even graze Vint. From Theo’s point of view, Vint may have appeared to be the dominant one. However, that was because both of them were just “playing,” with neither displaying their full strength. If they were to do so and got fired up, then one of them would probably get injured. They obviously wouldn’t hurt one another badly enough to endanger their lives, though, and there was always healing magic. That wasn’t where their worries lay.

If one of them got injured, Latina would find out, and they’d probably get scolded. They’d have to sit up straight next to one another as Latina lectured them with her hands on her hips. That much would be fine. Well, not fine, but they could deal with it. The real issue is that when she was angry, Latina may not talk to them for a while. That absolutely had to be avoided.

He played with Vint for a while, but Dale knew that while Vint was a very sensible animal, they couldn’t keep going for too long. It was important to end things before Vint started getting too worked up.

Dale then looked over at Theo. The boy had picked up a thin stick and was swinging it around, mimicking him.

“Theo, make sure you don’t swing sticks at people.” “That’s bad?”

“If you hit them, it’ll hurt. You shouldn’t do something to others that you wouldn’t want done to you,” Dale warned.

“When you’re a bit older, I’ll teach you how to use a sword...” Dale said, wondering absentmindedly all the while if that should be Kenneth’s role. Still, he got the feeling that it might be too difficult for a toddler to start off learning the basics with a battleaxe. It wasn’t as if Kenneth never used a sword, but Dale couldn’t picture him using anything but a battleaxe. Just trying to imagine it felt wrong. It seemed that impressions really were a powerful thing.

As Dale gazed off into the distance, thinking such things, the toddler had the stick knocked out of his hand with the cub’s tail, then was knocked over once more.

The next day, Dale kept Theo company.

Dale walked through town with the toddler under his arm, his limbs flailing about as he screamed. It wouldn’t be strange at all for the town guard to be called on him at any moment. But the surprised passersby decided from the man’s composed posture and what the boy was wailing about that this wasn’t something to report, and their expressions grew full of understanding.

“I want Sis, not you, Dale!” “Sorry, but I’m all you’ve got.” “I wanna go with Sis!” “Latina’s busy with work.” “Woof.”

“Nooo!”

Dale was heading for the park in the center of Kreuz, with the cub by his side. Theo was generally in a bad mood lately because Latina was so busy. He wanted his beloved big sister to pay more attention to him, but she said she couldn’t play with him because the shop was packed. On top of that, she was also “studying” and talking to customers. It wasn’t fair that she wouldn’t play with him. If she had time to talk with customers, then she should be able to play with him, right? That’s what Theo thought. Playing with Vint was fun, but Theo wanted his beloved big sister to dote on him more.

They arrived at the park, where a great number of townsfolk were spending their free time again today. Vint wagged his tail when he saw the wide-open space.

“Vint, don’t use magic. And don’t go digging around randomly.” “Woof.”

“I’ll be reporting back to Latina later.”

“Woof!” It was a favorable response. He got the feeling that Vint was still making light of his words, but it’d be his loss if he let that bug him.

Vint only listened to Latina’s orders. She may not have intended to give him orders, but Vint would always obey her requests, so it was essentially the same thing as a result. However, Vint did have some respect for Dale and Kenneth in his own way. This was both because Latina respected them and Vint recognized them as being stronger than he was. By his canine sense of values, he recognized them as superior.

He was a very clever animal, so he mostly understood what was said to him. However, in the hierarchy of the residents of the Ocelot, it was Rita who came after Latina. He didn’t follow her orders, but he did pay attention when she scolded him. This may have been because he saw how the men of the Ocelot were no match for her.

Dale lowered Theo down onto the grass in the park, and the toddler broke out in a run. Dale smiled a bit while watching the young boy, and his mind started to wander.

Oh right, Yorck will have his second kid soon... What should I send to congratulate him?

It seemed that his younger brother was getting along quite well with his wife, Frida. The letters he periodically sent back and forth with his home village were not just updates on how they were doing, but also served as reports on the state of the world. When they came back with his grammar and spelling mistakes corrected in red, it pissed him off. It was largely his grandmother who did that.

Vint had picked up a stick from somewhere and brought it to Dale, so he tossed it. Vint caught it while Theo watched, then wagged his tail, looking satisfied with himself. Hating to lose, Theo puffed up his cheeks and then looked motivated.

Is that alright...?

Competing and playing with a dog may have been good for a toddler’s upbringing, but playing with a mythical beast every day may have been a bit excessive.

Well, his parents aren’t stopping them, so... I guess it’s fine.

Dale threw the stick again and gazed on at the peaceful sight of the two of them competing over it.

After a while, he took a now-exhausted Theo to the shade of a tree. When the boy started dozing off, Dale scooped him up as he was accustomed to doing, and then Theo nodded off.

Vint was running about the park, doing his own thing, only to suddenly stop and sniff the air a few times. Just when Dale noticed that, the cub went darting off somewhere.

“Dale!” he heard before long. Sure enough, Vint had run off to greet Latina. She was heading towards him, holding a wicker basket in her hand.

“Is it okay for you not to be working?”

“It’s not like I’m always working,” Latina responded with a laugh before sitting down at his side. She stared at the sleeping Theo with a smile. “I brought Theo a snack, but he’s sleeping so peacefully, we shouldn’t wake him.”

“You could sleep anywhere, too...” “I don’t do that anymore.” “That’s true.”

Latina puffed up her cheeks a bit not because she was upset, but because she was embarrassed. It made Dale glad to see that this childish habit still remained despite how much she had grown.

“You really are cute, Latina...” “What’s that about, all of the sudden?”

“It’s really hit me, watching Theo. You were always trying your hardest.” He then patted her head like he used to when she was young, and Latina looked a little troubled. It may not have been proper to do that with a girl of her age.

That’s a lonely thought...

Had she come to find it annoying, being together with him? Was he the only one feeling lonely? Were kids destined to leave the sentimental adults behind as they steadily grew older?

Latina stared at him with her big grey eyes, looking confused. “Have you made your plans for the night festival...?”

“Yeah. We’re going to meet up at Chloe’s house. We’ll be back late, so I’ll be back after seeing Chloe and Sylvia home.”

“You’re going to see them home...?!”

“It’d be dangerous to let them go home late on their own. I’ve been studying magic for self-defense lately, and there will be a lot of guardsmen and adventurers hired as bodyguards around, so I’ll be fine.”

He couldn’t deny what she was saying. It was true that she possessed a great deal more offensive capabilities than her friends. But she didn’t have a strong sense of danger.

“M-Maybe I should come pick you up?” “It’s fine. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

That was precisely why he was worried. Why didn’t she understand that? However, he was hesitant to tell Latina all about the dangers of men the world over. If she came to see him as some repulsive creature too, he wouldn’t be able to recover. It would kill him. Latina’s cold gaze would cut through him and damage him greater than any blade or magic ever could. “It’s a difficult choice...” he muttered without thinking. “Hmm?” Latina tilted her head, truly perplexed.

Still, he decided that he wanted to raise Latina to be honest and pure.

“It’s nothing... Ah, right, it looks like Theo’s up.” Trying to change the topic, he directed Latina’s attention towards Theo, who was starting to stir.

“Really? Are you awake, Theo?”

“Hrngh...? Sis?” His eyes shot open and, realizing that Latina was there, he reached out for her to hold him. Latina, meanwhile, was perfectly happy to dote on him. “Sis.”

“What is it, Theo?”

Rather than responding, Theo simply gave a happy laugh and a smile. While Dale watched them, Vint rubbed his head up against him. “What is it...?”

“Woof!”

“It’s not like I’m jealous of Theo or something.” “Woof.”

Dale ran his fingers through the grey fur of the cub shooting him a knowing glance. All the while, he thought about just what his current position was as her father, unable to come up with an answer as his thoughts went in circles.

†

That customer stayed at the Dancing Ocelot until a few days before the Ahmar night festival.

When the door swung open and a young man entered, the hustle and bustle of the shop stopped for a moment. As he looked over the shop, the regulars grew tense. He had a refreshing, orderly appearance to him. Though he himself appeared calm, the travel outfit he wore was disheveled. It was proof that he had hurried here.

“Welcome!”

The regulars were on edge because they realized this unfamiliar young man was quite skilled, but the shop’s adorable signature waitress greeted him as always, totally unfazed. After a quick jog over to him, she approached with a smile and said, “This is your first time here, right? Have you been to Kreuz before?”

“No...”

That smile of Latina’s froze when she heard what he had to say next. His ice- blue eyes opened a little wider in surprise, and he muttered, “So you’re the Fairy Princess Dale mentioned, huh?”

Latina turned with her stiff smile toward Rita, who was holding back her laughter with a poker face.

“Rita, it’s alright if I get mad at Dale, isn’t it?”

“Go for it. To your heart’s content,” Rita responded with a nice smile on her face and a thumbs-up, and all the regulars watching added a cheer.

It was a sort of entertainment to see someone else get chewed out, as long as no harm came to you yourself.

There was an impatient feeling in the air, and no one was able to say anything as they saw her heading into the kitchen, where the stairs to her and Dale’s room were. Her footsteps sounded rougher than usual.

The young man was left behind, not understanding what was going on.

After a while, Dale came down to the shop from their room, looking haggard. “What’s wrong...?” the man asked.

“It’s all your fault, for crying out loud!” Dale yelled in an outburst.

Dale was also at fault for having broken out in a smile at her cute, puffed-up cheeks while she was angrily lecturing him. That had driven Latina into a complete rage, forcing Dale to beg and grovel and plead. In that way, he finally managed to somehow earn her forgiveness.

However, he avoided using the phrase “I won’t do it again” as part of his desperate attempt to negotiate his way out. He didn’t want to lie to Latina, after all. So it wasn’t all that unusual that he avoided it, as he had no intention of changing his ways.

“Still, you got here awful quick, Gregor. Did you rush here the very second you got the letter?”

“Yeah. I can move relatively freely when it’s just me, after all.”

Gregor had sat down in a corner of the Ocelot, where he had calmly waited for Dale without paying any attention to the gazes of the people around him.

The aura about Gregor was that of a warrior. It was no surprise that the regulars rudely gazed at him with great interest. In addition to his obvious good breeding for an adventurer, Gregor was also a skilled enough swordsman to catch the interest of such elites.

He also realized that the regulars of this shop were quite skilled themselves. Internally, he was full of admiration. Even in the capital, you wouldn’t run across such talented folks very often. He once more realized that Kreuz was one of the greatest towns in this nation thanks to its ability to attract travelers and adventurers.

“Is Rose alright?”

“She’s in a room on the second floor right now. I heard the rough details, but... was she really kidnapped?”

“Her carriage heading from her territory to the capital was attacked. The Cornelius family isn’t all that wealthy, so she only had a suitable number of guards and servants with her... Apparently, the attackers had investigated Rose’s personality. They took the people around her hostage first.”

“Ah...”

He hadn’t thought the Rose Princess would let herself get kidnapped so easily, but that explained it.

The Cornelius family was a viscount household, making them of a lower status compared to the Eldstedt ducal household to which Gregor belonged. However, the two still interacted because their territories were adjacent and because the Eldstedt family was the main client for the unique products of the land the Cornelius family held. That’s how the two families were connected.

With the birth of Rose, who had a mana trait and unusually strong divine protection, that bond had only grown stronger. As they were one of her backers, Rose received the patronage of the ducal family. This was also essential for Duke Eldstedt. It was important to not hand over the influential card of a beautiful woman with strong divine protection to a political enemy, and to instead keep her where his influence could reach.

Those were the circumstances behind Rose and Gregor’s acquaintance. Gregor’s elder sister’s affection for Rose, who was like an adorable doll, was also part of the reason they had gotten to know each other. They’d seen each other often ever since Gregor was a young boy.

“Anyway, you want to see that Rose is okay firsthand, right? I’ll have Latina go call for—”

“No, I’m going to her. Tell me where her room is.” Dale stopped cold for a second, at a loss for words.

“No... No, no, no. That’d be bad, right?! Think about Rose’s reputation! It’d be a problem, even if you don’t do anything!”

The young princess meeting a man in a locked room... If that fact got out, it would be more than enough to turn into a scandal. If it also became known that the man was part of Duke Eldstedt’s family, then it would become an even bigger story.

“As long as you don’t say anything, then Rose’s honor won’t be harmed, right?”

There wasn’t even the slightest hint that he was joking in the gaze of his cold, ice-blue eyes, which implicitly threatened that he’d cut Dale down if he said anything he shouldn’t.

As sweat ran down his back, Dale thought, You’re always coldly criticizing me, calling me a doting idiot for putting Latina above everything else, but you don’t have room to talk, do you?

He continued on, saying to his friend, “Um... Rose’s room is on the second floor, right at the top of the stairs, but... You don’t need me to accompany you, right? Yeah?”

With that single gaze from Gregor, Dale had immediately decided on his course of action. Dale was crestfallen, and his shoulders dropped as he watched Gregor climb the stairs to the second floor.

Worried about him, Latina brought him a glass of water. She had just been angry with him, but her kindness won out in the end.

“Dale, is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’ll... probably be fine, right?”

They were both worried about someone different, but paying no heed to such details, Dale unusually muttered a prayer to the gods.

Just from hearing the knock on the door, Rose sensed who it was on the other side. The surprise almost caused her to drop the borrowed book she was holding.

He likely didn’t realize it himself, but Gregor had hesitated for just a moment. Ever since they were young, he always looked forward to seeing her, leading to this now-familiar habit.

“Rose.”

The moment she heard his voice, Rose sprang towards the door. It should’ve been simple enough to unlock it, but her anxious heart caused her hand to shake. “Sir Gregor...!”

Her voice trembled as she opened the door and saw him standing there. “I’m glad to find you well, Rose.” No clear emotion showed on Gregor’s face, but there was a gentle, relieved tone to his voice.

“Sir Gregor!” Rose cried, throwing herself into Gregor’s arms. “Sir Gregor, I... I...”

“I’m glad you’re alright...”

While embracing Rose with her thin, trembling shoulders and her tear-filled eyes, Gregor quietly closed the door with his free hand.

To Rose, Dale was ultimately just an acquaintance. No matter how frightened and hurt and haggard she may have been from being kidnapped and encountering the Second Demon Lord, who was fear incarnate, she didn’t let any of that show to Dale. That was proof of just how prideful and stouthearted she was, but she most certainly wasn’t alright.

With Gregor, whom she was close to and had trusted ever since they were young, before her, everything she had been burying deep inside came bursting forth.

She couldn’t speak; she simply clung to Gregor and wept.

Gregor knew Rose very well. He knew that she had been unable to cry and had held everything inside up until now. That was why he had insisted on visiting her room by himself.

He silently held her tight, stroking her unique, rose-colored hair that was the source of her name.

Before long, she looked up at Gregor with her tear-stained, indigo-blue eyes, only to bashfully look back down immediately.

“Please forgive me. That was ill-mannered...” “You don’t need to act tough.”

With those kind words, her tears started flowing again, and she hurriedly wiped them away with her fingers.

“Please give me just a little time, Sir Gregor. At this rate, I will not only not be able to talk... I will not even be able to show you my face.”

“There’s no need to force yourself.”

“That will not do. And I have caused Dale quite a bit of trouble... Since I lived through all of that, I have a duty to tell of what happened,” Rose plainly stated, having regained her natural composure. Gregor loosened his grip and made a faintly awkward smile, taking care that she didn’t see it. She was a noble girl like a beautiful flower blossom, truly fitting of her namesake. He didn’t want to do anything that would injure her pride.

“I’m going to talk to Dale for a while. When you’re ready, come call for me. Is that alright?”

“Yes.”

After hearing her response, Gregor once more headed to the first floor. Down in the bar, Dale was waiting on Latina with a tea set. He looked somehow relieved upon seeing Gregor. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

Without asking the reason behind Dale’s reaction, Gregor sat opposite of him. “Rose said she wants to talk once she calms down. I’d like you to be there, but do you have a place we can use?”

“How about my room? It may not be much by your standards, but we shouldn’t have to worry about being overheard there.”

“That sounds good.”

“It’s messy right now, so I’ll go clean up.”

As Dale said that and stood up, Latina looked flustered. “Dale, I’ll—”

“You’re busy with work. And it won’t take me long, anyway.”

Latina liked things tidy, so she was attentive in her cleaning to make sure the attic room they lived in didn’t get messy. But because it was a private space, there were clear signs that it was lived in. Even if Gregor was a friend, that all still needed to be hidden away if someone was going to visit.

After watching Dale leave, Latina hurried into the kitchen. In no time at all, she brought out fresh tea and stood before Gregor. After placing the tray on the table, she gave a quick bow and apologized, saying, “I’m sorry for before.”

Gregor thought for a bit before realizing what she was talking about. “Not at all. I was impolite myself. Lately Dale has been referring to you as his ‘Fairy Princess, the cutest in the world’ without even a hint of hesitation. I said it without thinking.”

“Dale...”

Gregor felt a quiet yet palpable anger unfitting of her adorable face coming off of Latina.

Interesting...

He’d put up with plenty of his friend’s bragging about the girl up until now, so surely this much revenge was fair play.

It was a fresh experience, seeing his friend haggard from the young girl scolding him. He’d love to show this to the castle guards, who saw Dale as a hero.

“Just the other day, he finally bragged to my father about you.”

Latina gave a single sigh, then regained her composure. She realized that there was no point in acting angry towards Gregor about this. It seemed she’d need to discuss things with Dale a little more thoroughly later, though.

Rita had overheard their conversation despite not intending to, and so she wore a terribly strained expression on her face.

Rita was familiar with Dale’s work. That young man was close to Rose, who was a noble, albeit a low-ranking one, and he was about Dale’s age. She was able to guess at who Gregor was, and as a result, she was also aware of just who Gregor’s father was as well.

“That idiot... He doesn’t know when to restrain himself...”

By the way, in regards to this chain of events, Dale said, “I did hold back! For over five years!” Apparently, this was a declaration that his period of self- restraint had concluded. One big reason was because Gregor’s elder sister had had a child, whom the duke was doting heavily over. That said, nobody else was concerned about that.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Dale. He says you’re his most trusted comrade in arms... Nice to meet you. I’m Latina. Sorry for the late introduction.”

“I’m Gregor Nakiri.”

“That’s an unusual last name.”

“It’s from an eastern frontier nation.”

Gregor wasn’t giving her an alias. Rather, he knew that the influence held by the Eldstedt name was too great, so he used his mother’s family name when out and about.

Latina smiled as she thought on the word, which had a different sound to it that she wasn’t familiar with. It was a dazzling enough smile, and it made Gregor think that Dale hadn’t exaggerated about how cute this girl was at all.

“Still, I’m surprised...” “Huh?”

Latina stopped pouring the clear tea, which she had carefully timed the brewing of, and tilted her head. Gregor made a bit of an awkward smile upon seeing that.

“From what Dale had told me about you, I got the impression that you were a little kid.”

“I see...”

“Thinking about it, it’s been several years since he first told me about you...

Of course you’ve grown up.”

“Dale still thinks of me as a little kid he can’t take his eyes off of, though...” As this was her first time meeting Gregor, Latina wore a more composed and proper expression than usual. As a result, she had a more mature air to her than her age would suggest. She’d always been sharp, so she definitely understood how to act appropriately for the situation. But when she let her guard down, her natural childish appearance would pop up. Since it was Gregor’s first time meeting her, though, and he didn’t know Latina that well, she gave the impression of a more mature, composed, and polite girl than what he had expected.

The teacup that Latina offered with a practiced motion was plain and simple, but the scent wafting off it wasn’t half bad. As he sipped the tea, even Gregor was satisfied enough that he found it hard to believe it was being offered in a pub in the rough part of town. It of course was no match for what was served in the duke’s home, but the taste was a testament to the careful scrutiny of the shop’s owner. Gregor thought he must be quite a skilled chef.

And he thought the same of the girl before him now. From the way she handled the tea set, he could tell that she knew her manners full well. Her beauty was out of place in a dingy pub like this. He didn’t want to accept it, but he now understood what had made his friend become so fawning and pathetic.

Even if she were placed amongst the noble young ladies of the capital, she’d still stand out. Her brilliant, glamorous platinum hair would steal the gazes of those around her more than any gemstone or golden jewelry.

In addition to her beautiful looks, she had the air of a wildflower, with a gentle warmth to her that soothed the heart. It would be a great relief if there were anyone like her in the plot-infested imperial court.

Now that I think on it, he’s always saying that...

Dale said things like, “I don’t have enough Latina to soothe me! Let me go back! I need to return to my Latina even a moment sooner!” And despite trying to forget it, Gregor also couldn’t help but remember the deplorable appearance of Dale at his worst—when he’d been muttering his daughter’s name while sharpening his blade.

It was all the more deplorable that that state actually made his friend work more effectively. It wasn’t as if he normally slacked at all, but when he reached his worst, he gave everything he had to get back even a little bit sooner.

To start with, even from the point of view of Gregor, who was part of the Eldstedt family, known for producing highly skilled individuals, Dale was worthy of high praise. Even aside from his rare ability that made him a “hero,” he was a master at both offensive and defensive magic, excelled with both a sword and a bow, and was skilled at adapting to any unusual situation in battle, making him someone worthy of praise even in a country like Laband, which fostered both physical and magical combat skills.

Some nobles scorned him at first for his birth, deriding him as a country bumpkin. However, Dale wiped away their sneers with his accomplishments and perfect decorum. He utterly defeated those scorning nobles on the stage of high society by carefully polishing his conduct with their younger counterparts. That of course earned him some resentment, but that was overwhelmed by the applause of the other nobles.

Those who could only take pride in their lineage couldn’t hope to measure up to Dale’s skills. And since he hated to lose, he wasn’t content to rest on his laurels and rely on his skills alone.

That was precisely why Gregor found his friend’s eccentricities so regrettable. But ever since he started living together with his adopted daughter, Dale seemed much less emotionally up against the wall. As long as he wasn’t having a fit, there was now a relaxed dignity to him.

The duke’s evaluation of him had also risen over the years, and now there were none in the castle who didn’t know of the deep trust he had in Dale Reki.

Gregor couldn’t say that it was all bad.

“Do you know about Dale’s work?” Gregor asked, remembering that the girl in front of him was part of a different race.

“No. Dale says it’s related to important classified secrets, so I don’t ask him about it.”

Hearing her reply, Gregor decided that it was best not to tell her about what Dale did.

It was no secret that Dale had a contract with the duke and served to eliminate demon lords and their subordinates. However, since Gregor’s friend had decided not to tell the girl, he needed to respect that. After all, his work involved slaughtering members of her race.

It was then that Dale showed up again, interrupting their conversation. “Sorry for the wait, Gregor. It’s a bit cramped, but my room is this way,”

Dale said, pointing towards the kitchen.

“You didn’t do anything impolite, right, Latina?” Dale said, his words perfectly fitting for a parent.

Without his facial expression shifting even a bit, Gregor retorted, “What if she said she did?”

“I would have figured you did something you shouldn’t have.” “That’s what I assumed.”

Gregor had expected such a response.

After that exchange with his friend, Dale turned towards Latina. “Latina, could you call for Rose?”

“Right. Should I carry some tea up after that? If everyone’s going to be talking, that’d be good, right? Could you wait for that?”

“Yeah, this may take some time... Thanks, we’ll take you up on that offer.” “Leave it to me!”

Hearing that exchange, Gregor realized that the two really did have a harmonious relationship. He didn’t even realize it when he broke out in a smile, but Dale did.

“What’s with that grin?”

“It’s nothing... I was just thinking that she really is a proper young lady, despite being raised by you,” Gregor said, half-trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Even you’re reacting that way?!”

Dale’s younger brother had once said something similar to him, but Gregor had no way of knowing that. For the time being, he’d managed to reopen Dale’s old wounds.

†

The room Dale and Latina lived in was decorated in the style of Dale’s home village, and it was intriguing to Gregor and Rose, who were both Laband nobles. With the addition of accessories and fabrics suited to Latina’s tastes, it now had a more pleasant feel to it than when Dale had lived there alone.

Rose had already visited numerous times to teach Latina magic, so she sat down, already used to it. Gregor hesitated for a moment, but then followed Dale’s example and sat down as well.

After a short while, Latina brought up a tea set. Latina silently delivered the tea and then returned back downstairs. Rose took a sip and then started discussing what had happened to her.

Rose served at the temple, so she didn’t appear in high society very often. She was always either in her own family’s domain or traveling around offering condolences at the behest of the temple. Her beautiful, rare appearance was practically a symbol of the temple of Niili. The strong impression Rose and her miraculous healing magic left on the townsfolk was also greatly important for the temples, which also served as clinics.

The Cornelius household that Rose belonged to was not especially wealthy. In that way, Rose wouldn’t normally be all that useful for a political marriage. However, her personal value and talents were outstanding.

Rose was fully aware of her own standing, and that she was more valuable than her family knew what to do with, so she threw herself overly much into her work with the temple.

When she’d been in the middle of moving about for such work, her carriage was targeted. With her, she only had her chamberlain, a young coachman, a soldier dispatched from the temple as a guard, and a maid who waited on her.

When they were surrounded by bandits, her servant fell into a panic. She may have been a proper attendant, but she was ultimately just a country girl who had polished up her manners in order serve the low-ranking noble Cornelius family.

It’s not as if she was prepared to deal with an emergency situation. Thanks to her snap judgments, she got herself captured by the bandits.

In exchange for the lives of her subordinates, Rose agreed to obediently follow the bandit’s orders. That decision was also based on her judgment that since their goal was to kidnap her, her life would not be in any immediate danger. Rose made it clear that she would take her own life if they did anything to disgrace her, so the bandits acted more or less gentlemanly.

Even now, she still didn’t know what the bandits’ objective was. Most likely, their goal was to negotiate with her guardian, Duke Eldstedt. The Cornelius family itself wasn’t a juicy enough target for a kidnapping, and from the way they boldly let her subordinates live and inform the Cornelius family of Rose’s kidnapping, she sensed that this was a crime committed by some large organization.

The bandits then transported Rose and her maid to a small, remote village. “Are you alright, Lily?”

That whole time, Rose didn’t stop worrying about her maid. The woman may have been a country girl who lacked tact, but Rose still concerned herself greatly over the maid, who also had a flower-based name.

On the surface, Rose was obediently listening to the bandits, but the whole time she was looking for a chance to escape. She may have had her magic tool taken away, but even without such a thing, she had no problem casting magic.

The bandits headed for the most luxurious building in the village, which was likely once the villa of a wealthy merchant. If they had realized along the way that the village was too quiet even for a small country settlement, things might have gone quite differently.

When they entered the manor, they immediately saw a single young girl. She was seated on the handrail to the stairs, wearing enamel shoes on her feet and swinging her legs under her knee-length skirt. She had a nice, innocent-looking young face, long blond hair, and big blue eyes, giving her the appearance of an adorable, expensive bisque doll. To top it all off, she wore an impractically extravagant outfit on her slender body.

By human standards, she looked to be a pre-teen. That said, she had chalk- white horns on both sides of her head, making it clear that she was a devil.

The second Rose saw the girl, an indescribable chill ran down her spine. Her presence there was more than just unnatural: it was downright eerie.

That she sensed that was the difference between Rose and the bandits, and it may have had a decisive effect on what happened next.

“What are you—” one of the men said, approaching the girl. In the next instant, he collapsed to the ground in an unnatural manner. His limbs and neck were pointing in impossible directions. Before everyone else could even register what had happened, a deep crimson spread across the floor.

With a brilliant smile that showed she was clearly enjoying herself, the blond girl waved about the objects she had in each hand. While they were unfitting with such a young girl, she wielded them so naturally that it was easy to miss the massive blades she held.

Blood sprayed through the air.

The girl spun about with such elegance that it felt almost unreal. The golden sparkle of her hair and the shine of her blades drew an arc through the air.

Before anyone could even understand what was going on and scream or shout out in anger, several corpses (it was obvious they were dead, even without checking) were strewn about the floor, and the pool of blood grew wider.

Her skinny arms swung the blades with incredible ease, unleashing strikes that even cut through bone. And on her face, she wore an elegant grin. She looked like a child plucking the wings off an insect she had captured. It was a smile of deep-rooted cruelty.

The weak beings before her were wiped out by this overwhelming presence, unable to even resist.

Rose was in the minority that was able to grasp what was happening. With that said, while she was an excellent magic user, she wasn’t able to throw herself into the fray. It was the most she could manage to not lose consciousness at the stench of the blood and meat flying about, which was so strong you could choke on it. In fact, it was precisely because she was so skilled that she realized she couldn’t possibly oppose the being that stood before her.

Even so, Rose was able to remain rational. However, her maid, Lily, descended into a panic. That was perfectly understandable, since seeing such a being brought about a primal terror. Lily shook off Rose, who was trying to hold her back, let out an unintelligible shriek, and tried to flee.

“You’re an earsore.”

By the time Rose realized that charming voice had come from the girl in her bloodstained dress, Lily was already crawling across the floor, desperately trying to escape.

“Come now, you can cry better than that for me.”

The girl swung down her blade, and Lily’s legs flew through the air. It would be an understatement to call the sound that came from the maid a shriek, and the girl gave a refined, charming smile.

“Oh, my. When it comes to servants, even their voices are unpleasant. Be silent.”

With that, she casually brought down her deadly weapon.

Rose simply watched as this happened. She wasn’t able to do anything else. She was so afraid that she couldn’t even move.

“Stay as you are.”

It was a female voice with an ever so slightly unique intonation to it that called Rose out of her daze. Frozen stiff, she turned her gaze to the back of the woman the voice had come from, and the corner of her sight was filled with a brilliant purple.

“You aren’t yet fated to die right now. For the time being, stay quiet and bear it.”

Even if she weren’t in such a situation, the woman’s voice would have brought Rose comfort. It had a gentle quality to it, of the sort that would calm down whoever heard it.

Rose moved her head slowly to check and found that she was a young devil woman. Her long, straight hair was a brilliant purple, and her horns were a dazzling gold. There wasn’t a hint of emotion showing on her beautiful face.

There was a strange string of characters clearly tattooed on her slim, white neck, like some sort of code.

“Why is she doing such a thing...?” Rose whispered in a hoarse voice. The woman responded with a whisper as well, saying, “My lord has no reason.” The tone of her voice when she said “my lord” was chilly. “If there is any meaning to her actions, then her goal... is solely to kill.” “The Second Demon Lord...!”

Just as Rose realized who she was dealing with, the last of the bandits cried out for mercy. Perhaps that alone was enough to call him “courageous.”

“S-Spare me! Please don’t kill me!”

The demon lord in the shape of a young girl wore a compassionate smile in response to the plea she would never possibly consider truly granting. “Oh, my. Shall I let you live, then?”

She looked to be enjoying herself greatly.

She brought down her weapons.

“Don’t worry. I know just what to do so you won’t die.” She slashed again and again.

Even if it was muffled by the man’s screams, Rose heard the girl’s clear, high-pitched “singing.” Rose went even paler when she realized what that “song” was.

“Healing magic...!”

It was highly precise, too. The Second Demon Lord was slicing the man up while casting healing magic. She was healing him, taking care that he wouldn’t die... not allowing him to die.

This cruel game continued on until the man, his voice full of despair, begged, “Please kill me...”

If the violet-haired woman wasn’t standing behind Rose as if to support her, she may not have been able to hold herself together. It may not have lasted all that long, but it certainly didn’t feel that way.

Once everyone else was a corpse, the adorable girl awash in fresh blood looked at Rose. Her blue eyes looked quite eerie, as they didn’t have even a hint of guilt to them.

Rose shivered in response to being looked at, but thanks to her natural pride, she undauntedly coped with the gaze of the monster before her.

“Hmm?” the Second Demon Lord said with curiosity while looking at Rose. She tilted her head and casually approached.

“Oh, my, what a pretty color. They’re almost like lapis lazuli,” she said, almost sounding jealous as she gazed at Rose’s eyes. The look on her face was entirely innocent, despite the fact that she was the one who had created this horrid spectacle. That fact itself was repulsively twisted.

“My lord, this person’s hair is also a magical trait.” “Oh, my, what color is it? Let me see.”

The bandits had prepared the chestnut-colored wig, not wanting Rose to stand out. Even though Rose was still wearing it, the violet-haired devil woman had stated that without hesitation, clearly already aware of that fact.

Rose obediently exposed her natural hair.

“Oh, my, it really is a pretty color! Show me more!”

Rather than just being simple rose-pink, Rose’s hair had a variety of shades due to the light shining on it, making for a rare color even amongst mana traits.

The Second Demon Lord’s slender arm reached out to touch Rose’s hair. “My lord.”

“What is it?”

“Would it not be a shame to sully it with the blood of such lowly men?” The girl’s hands stopped after hearing the woman’s advice. It was then that she finally remembered the gore coating her hands and that she was still holding her large blades.

“That’s true. It’d be a waste to stain something so beautiful!”

The Second Demon Lord suddenly pulled back her hand with a smile and then turned around.

“I’m going to go take a bath.” “Take your time.”

The Second Demon Lord pitter-pattered off into the depths of the mansion. After seeing her leave, Rose nearly collapsed to the floor, thoroughly worn out.

“Hold yourself together,” the woman rebuked, halting her collapse. Rose somehow managed to stop herself from losing consciousness and falling into the sea of blood on the floor. But even so, she wasn’t able to stop her body from trembling.

“Why... Why did she do this...?”

Rose couldn’t help but grieve over the lives taken in vain, not only of her own maid, but the bandits who kidnapped her as well. Having only been able to watch such brutality unfold, Rose now moaned in agony while hiding her face behind her hands.

However, the devil woman didn’t give Rose enough time for such grieving. “There’s no time for that now. Hurry up and leave this place as soon as you can,” the woman said while grabbing Rose’s shoulders, using a firm tone of voice and a solemn expression on her face. “My lord has a liking for mana traits. However, she only sees them as playthings. She just wants to keep her favorite toys by her side.” From the bitter tone of her voice and her words, it was clear that she was not serving the Second Demon Lord by her own will.

The woman had shown off Rose’s mana trait because she knew that would catch her master’s interest. As a result of that, the Second Demon Lord hadn’t killed Rose immediately. It was just a temporary solution, but it was the most surefire way to save Rose’s life. But even so, at this rate Rose would be held captive and suffer a torturous fate far worse than death... just like she had.

“It is not yet your time to die, so keep on struggling. If you do, you should be able to escape.”

Rose was a high-ranking priestess, so she could tell that the devil woman before her had incredibly strong divine protection. It was enough that it felt strong even to an unusually powerful priestess like Rose. Rose sensed that the woman was equal to her in that regard, or perhaps even stronger.

“Are you a priestess of Banafsaj...?”

The power granted by the divine protection of Banafsaj was premonitions. Rose had sensed something out of place from the woman’s phrasing, so she asked to make sure. In response, the woman silently nodded her head.

“But... if I run away, what will happen to you?”

Realizing from Rose’s tone that she was concerned about her, the woman smiled just a bit.

“I cannot escape from my lord. These restraints are proof of that.” The woman touched the characters tattooed on her neck as she said that. “This is a ‘name’ engraved by a demon lord into her servant. It is proof that I am granted her power, and also controlled by it. To become a demon serving a demon lord means yielding life-and-death power over yourself to your lord.”

“Then even more so... If it becomes known that you let me escape, what fate will await you...?”

In response to Rose’s sorrowful voice, the woman responded, sounding as if she were gently correcting an unreasonable child. “You saw what happened before, yes? My lord will not murder me until I beg for it. I have such an agreement with my lord.”

And she then added just a bit more.

“Also, things are always that way for me. My lord has always looked forward to the time she’ll get me to make that request.”

Hearing that horribly abnormal statement, Rose only grew paler, but the woman gently pushed her on the back so she’d take a single step forward.

“Why? Why... Why does the Second Demon Lord do such terrible things...? Even if she is the Second Demon Lord, how can such a young girl do such horrible, awful things...?”

The woman negated Rose’s anguish and bewilderment-filled questions in a clear voice. “It is not that she can do such things because she’s a demon lord. Rather, she was able to become a demon lord because she had such a disposition. I don’t think you’ll be able to understand her.”

She did not bring about death and slaughter because she was the Second Demon Lord. Rather, she needed such preferences to start with in order to be able to become the Second Demon Lord. That’s what the woman was saying.

Demon lords appeared from within the devil race. However, they were not born as demon lords possessing such massive power from the very start. Instead, those who were qualified amongst the devils became demon lords. One with the qualities of a king became the First Demon Lord, one who desired the power to wage wars and cause strife became the Seventh Demon Lord, and one who wished to overcome all fear of illness became the Fourth Demon Lord.

Rose could never hope to understand the reason this girl could enjoy slaughter with a smile, reveling in the anguished cries of the dying. Their values were too different, down to their very cores.

With an ever so slight smile, the woman gave Rose another push. While Rose wished that she could have even a hint of the strength of this woman, who could smile even under these circumstances, she started moving, as if some curse causing her legs to freeze up had suddenly been lifted. She wanted to give her maid a proper burial, but she knew that she couldn’t possibly hope for such a thing now. While giving thanks in the depths of her heart, she headed for the exit to the manor.

After that, she left that place without ever turning back.

†

Having finished her tale, Rose drooped her slender shoulders, completely drained of energy.

“Just as she’d said, I was able to make it out of that place alive. Along the way, as I passed through the village, I didn’t sense anyone... Most likely...”

She paused for a moment, then continued. “After I report to Father, it will be necessary to head there to confirm. We’ll need to hurry and assemble a party.” Gregor muttered in a gloomy voice in response to Rose’s story. He turned to Dale. “I’d like you to be a part of it.”

“Right,” Dale briefly responded.

Rose had headed to Kreuz and sought out Dale in particular because she was terrified of the Second Demon Lord. She had heard from Gregor that Dale had the rare abilities required to be called a hero. It was said that heroes were the only ones able to overcome a demon lord.

Rose had sought the presence of a hero to calm her overwhelming terror of the demon lord, which had seeped into the depths of her heart. As a result, thanks to being protected by such a hero, as well as her contact with Latina, who was a genius when it came to calming those around her, Rose had been able to regain her composure.

Dale hadn’t realized because he didn’t know her too well, but when Rose first arrived at the Dancing Ocelot, she was not her usual self. She had just been holding herself together by trying to act brave.

To Rose as she was now, just hearing Dale and Gregor discuss their plan for what to do next was as calming as a lullaby.

For the time being, Rose would be under the protection of the Eldstedt family until it was clear who was behind the incident. She’d head to the capital with Gregor and then stay at the duke’s estate. It was the manor of a household second only to the royal family in its authority. It was far more securely guarded than the estate of Rose’s family, so she’d be safer there.

Rose gently closed her eyes.

As she felt the warmth of Gregor by her side and heard his gentle voice, she at last felt relief in the depths of her heart, knowing that she had truly survived the incident.

†

This occurred a short while after Rose escaped the manor.

Having washed herself off and put on a new dress, the Second Demon Lord looked about her surroundings and then looked disappointed, not seeing Rose anywhere.

However, that was only for a moment.

Her young appearance was because she was that age when she had become a demon lord. Her values had grown distorted since that time, and over her many long years as an absolute presence, she’d come to find things not going her way as a spice of life to help distract her from her boredom.

That was also the reason she had a fondness for the customs of humans and had learned their language. She found the culture of the race she’d been born into, wherein those with long lifespans strove to maintain the status quo, terribly boring.

“Oh, my. You let her escape, didn’t you?” There was a palpable enjoyment in the girl’s high-pitched voice. “She was so beautiful and adorable, but it seems she was also strong-willed. That makes it all the more a shame that she got away.”

As she let out a high-pitched laugh, she also entangled her fingers in the violet hair of the woman before her.

It was incredibly rare for someone to not only not faint from seeing such a terrible sight, but even defy her by running away. And so, the Second Demon

Lord wore a bit of regret on her face, realizing she was also at fault for having underestimated Rose.

“You really are awful,” she said with a sweet voice like one would use when talking to her lover, looking down at the woman on her knees before her. Even with a knife pierced through her abdomen, this favorite toy of hers didn’t even let out a single scream.

As a demon serving the Second Demon Lord, the woman was built far tougher than a normal devil, so she wouldn’t die from such a wound. Rather, she was unable to die.

“If you just beg for death, then I’ll put you out of your misery. You want to be set free, don’t you?”

While the woman coughed up clumps of blood between painful breaths, she stared back at the Second Demon Lord with a gaze imbued with her strong will. “You won’t alter our contract, will you?”

“I will not. Games are no fun if you don’t play by the rules.” “Then it’s pointless to ask. I will never give in.”

While staring straight into the Second Demon Lord’s blue eyes, the woman gave a daring smile.

“As long as I’m alive, you won’t lay a hand on my daughter. As long as that contract exists, I will never yield.”

Seeing the woman’s continued strength for the one she wished to protect, the demon lord in the shape of a little girl smiled from the depths of her heart and raised her red-stained weapon overhead.

The Second Demon Lord started amusing herself with her favorite toy once more.

Share